The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bola Tinubu, yesterday spoke at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom wherein he said he would reform and revive the economy if he wins the 2023 presidential poll.
Speaking on the topic ‘Nigeria’s 2023 Elections: Security and economic development and its foreign policy imperatives’, Tinubu pledged to give loans to students in various institutions as well as reform the Almajiri system in the north.
Besides, promised to build more schools and employ/train teachers in the country.
On health, Tinubu said he would convert brain drain to brain gain adding that his administration would manufacture drugs and stop importation of drugs to Nigeria.
Tinubu also used the forum to speak on the myths and mysteries surrounding his age and academic records.
Asked to clear the controversy around his formative years, Tinubu said his birth, academic and professional records are not inconsistent as his critics claim.
He said he was born on March 29, 1952 adding that the records are there for people to see.
“I was born March 29, 1952; that’s my family record. The record is there. The transcript is there. I’m not claiming another father. I’m a Tinubu proper. If they require a DNA, they should speak.
“Chicago has attested that I graduated from the school. The institution recently sent me another certificate. Mobil Oil has attested that I worked with them and left as Treasurer. Make sure you are upright.
“Equally, it remains the same, Deloitte, Chicago State University where I graduated from has attested to that. Now, I can announce that I have received my original replacement degree certificate from them,” he said.
“I have a very good exposure in life. My record is consistent in the school, at the university. They (critics) are now convinced that they wasted their money and their time. The record is there, the transcript is there showing March 1952,” he said.
He contended that he is a bona fide member of the Tinubu family even as he alleged that an unnamed presidential candidate whom he alleged is not a Nigerian.”
“There is one presidential candidate whose national identity is questionable, but I did not go into that.
Speaking on his professional records, Tinubu said, “Deloitte trained me as an accountant. Mobil Oil has attested to my outstanding record. I got to the pinnacle of my career in the private sector. Who among them can brag about that?
As the engagement progressed, Tinubu who appeared exhauster, asked some persons on his team, including the speaker of the house of representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, and the governor of Kaduna State, Dr Nasir el-Rufai to answer certain questions on his behalf.
“Let me demonstrate here one of those philosophies and doctrines that I believe firmly in, it is team-ship, unbreakable team. To demonstrate that, I’ll assign it to my team,” he said.
He assigned El-Rufai to speak on how his (Tinubu-led) government would address insecurity and asked the director of strategic communication of the APC presidential campaign council, Mr. Dele Alake, to respond to the question on oil theft.
Tinubu also delegated a former commissioner for finance in Lagos, Mr. Wale Edun, to respond to a question on how he (Tinubu) would boost the economy if elected.
El-Rufai, who answered questions on security, stated that banditry, terrorism, separatism, and oil theft require a new approach including increasing the number of security operatives.
“The numbers must change and the Tinubu administration already has a blueprint, which is embedded in our action plan to address this. We will scale up the numbers of the armed forces. We’ll ramp up not only the numbers but the training and the equipment,” he said.
For his part, Alake, who answered the question on how Tinubu planned to lift Nigerians out of poverty and also curb oil theft in six months said: “The key to his policy for increasing economic growth is to enable the private sector to make the investment that will increase productivity, grow the economy, create jobs, and reduce poverty.”
